T400 Vista64 - Hybrid Display

Hi all,

I just gotten my T400 (yesterday), flatten it and loaded with clean Vista64. I like to know how I can enable the hybrid display option. I don't see it on my power management (taskbar).

I also like to know how I can configure the brightness, everytime I boot up/restart it always max brightness.

Appreciate if someone could share some lights...

Regards,

 

Hi,

I also received my T400 yesterday with Vista Business 64, but I did not flatten it. I did install a bunch of updates before fully investigating the functionality of this laptop. I still had a difficult time figuring out where I could switch to the integrated graphics card. I did not see switchable graphics option where several sets of directions said it would be. The only place I found it is if I go down to the notification area on the task bar and left click on the horizontal battery. Note that this is a left click, not a right click, and it is the horizontal battery, not the vertical battery over in the system tray. The last menu item is switchable graphics. Maybe you already have everything installed for switchable graphics.

I have not yet found how to keep the screen brightness from reverting back to full strength and would be interested in the answer.

btw, do you have your Thinkpad display show up twice under monitors in the Device Manager?

 

Brightness is easy. You can manually adjust with the Fn+Home for more brightness or Fn+End for less brightness. You can also manage your brightness with the power profiles in Power Manager. You can set different brightness settings for each profile, both for plugged and unplugged. You can also adjust settings for what happens when you close your lid, battery charge thresholds (under maintenance, I recommend 60% start, 95% stop), and many other settings with this tool.

I do not have a T400, but I believe the way to get hybrid (actually switchable) graphics is to single click on the battery icon (ThinkVantage Power manager). At the bottom of the menu should be an option for video. I believe it says optimize for performance (discrete GPU), or for battery life (integrated x4500 MHD). Unless you are gaming, I would suggest you use the integrated card all the time. It is more than adequate for Windows Aero, video playback, and any other desktop task.

 

Hi LeeAway,

Thanks for the pointer on the display switching... FYI, yes in my device manager it show 2 display card when I enable the ATI display card and it switched to 1 display card when I enable the intel display card.

Regards,

 

Hi All,

Thanks for the tips! At last everything are working as it should now.

jonlumpkin, you are right i have to create a power profile to make it work...

thanks!